Golf ball washer



Dec. 17, 1963 J. P. Pizzi 3,114,163

GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Jan. l5, 1965 .sv/Mw AGEA/7 United States Patent 3,114,163 GLF BALL WASHER Joseph P. Pizzi, 29 Edgewater Drive, Matawan, NJ. Filed Jan. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 251,536 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-21) This invention relates to apparatus for washing golf balls and more particularly to an apparatus that may be aiixed to a golf caddy cart in such a position that the wheel of the golf caddy cart will, by frictional bearing, drive the golf ball washing device.

At present golf ball cleaning devices are stationary, disposed adjacent the tees of certain holes spaced around the golf course or at the clubhouse necessitating interruption or interference with the golfers game and providing only sporadic ball cleaning possibilities.

An object of this invention is to provide a golf ball cleaning device that may be attached to the golfers caddy cart and which will enable the golfer to keep the golf balls cleaned as the caddy cart is moved about the golf course.

A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment that may be affixed to a golf caddy cart for cleaning golf balls in which the attachment comprises a hollow device with a plurality of rotating paddles within the hollow device and fluid contained within the hollow device and in which the paddles are rotated by a drive which has a frictional bearing on the wheel of said caddy cart to thus cleanse a golf ball when it is dropped into said device while the caddy cart is moved from place to place.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hollow golf ball cleaning device that may be attached to a caddy cart in which the device has an opening in the periphery of the device for the insertion and removal of golf balls to be cleaned and in which said device is extremely simple and capable of quick and simple attachment and demounting.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an attachment that may be aflixed to a golf caddy cart for cleaning golf balls in which the attachment comprises a hollow drum shaped container with rotatable means therein and fluid contained therein for cleaning the golf ball and in which the rotatable means is driven by a frictional bearing with the wheel of said caddy cart.

Other objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which FIG. l is a front elevational view of a golf caddy cart with the golf ball cleaning attachment axed in operating position,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of a further embodiment of the golf ball washing means attached adjacent one wheel of the golf cart,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a further embodiment of the paddle, and

FIG. 5 is a further embodiment of the paddle.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a golf caddy cart 11i in FIG. 1. Attached to one of the supporting elements 11 of the cart 19 is a hollow drum shaped golf ball washing device 12. The device 12 in this instance is supported by an arm 14 to which it is attached. Arm 14 is pivotally connected at 15 to a clamp 16. A spring 17 is attached to the cart at 18 and to the arm 14 at a point 19 to thus support the golf ball washing device 12 in the position as illustrated with a frictional drive wheel 2t) bearing upon a wheel 21 of the golf cart. The weight of the device 12 is suliicient to maintain a frictional bearing of wheel 2@ on wheel 21. However to insure to insure wheel 20 being retained in frictional con- 3,114,163 Patented Dec. 17, 1963 p ICC tact with wheel 21, a second spring 22 may be used at the bottom of the device 12 and attached to the golf cart at a point 23. Thus it is apparent that as the golf cart is moved from place to place, wheel 20 will provide a drive by means of shaft 20A to a paddle 25 (similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3) within the cleaning device 12. Paddle 25 will continually rotate as the cart is moved. A fluid 28 either plain water or Water with a small amount of detergent may be introduced within the hollow container 12 and by means of an opening 26, golf balls may be dropped into the container to be cleaned and after they have been thoroughly cleaned, the player may easily remove the golf ball by turning wheel 20 by hand until the golf ball is lifted to the opening 26. The opening 26 may be covered by a sliding closure 26A. It is also to be noted that spring 22 may be released at one end and spring 17 foreshortened lifting arm 14 and thus disengaging the frictional drive of the device 12 so that the device becomes inactive when desired.

A further embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this embodiment the device 12 is aiiixed to an upright member 30 and the upright member 30 at its lower end is provided with a pair of slots 31 and 32. In this particular embodiment the cart is provided with a pair of bolts or pins 33 and 34. The extensions of the bolts or pins 33 and 34 are passed through slots 31 and 32 respectively of the arm 30 and washers and nuts are aixed to retain arm 30 in an upright position as illustrated in FIG. 2. However due to the slots 31 and 32, arm 30 will have a slight degree of movement up or down as the pins 33 and 34 move in the slots. This degree of movement is provided so that the device 12 being positioned as shown in FIG. 2 with its drive wheel 20 bearing on the wheel 21 of the golf cart, the movement of arm 30 downward increases the frictional contact between wheels 20 and 21. The lower end of arm 30 is provided with a right angle extension 35 which in turn supports a small coil spring 36, the upper end of spring 36 abutting with an arm 11A of the golf cart. Thus with spring 36 compressed, arm 30 will be forced downwardly thus providing not only the weight contact of the device 12 on wheel 21 but a definite pressed contact due to spring 36. With the device as illustrated it is apparent that as wheel 21 is rotated, wheel 20 will be driven, wheel 20 in turn by means of shaft 20A driving the paddles 25 so that if a golf ball is dropped into the hollow device 12, the paddles 25 will flip or carry the golf ball around and around through the iluid providing a rolling, pushing contact to thus cleanse the golf ball. It is to be noted in FIG. 2 that in the event the player does not Wish to operate device 12, spring 36 may be dislodged at one end, the end bearing against arm 11A, and arm 30 pushed upward and by means of wing shaped nuts on bolts 33 and 34, arm 30 may be retained lifted from its frictional drive contact.

Referring to FIG. 3 the device 12 is preferably circular in form as illustrated so that the continuous rotation of paddles 25 simply lifts the golf ball out of the fluid 28 and ips it back into the uid 28 in a washing operation. The paddles 25 may be slightly cupped at one end 25A to assist in lifting the golf ball out of the fluid 28. Also the paddles 25 may be perforated or may be open framework as illustrated in FIG. 4 or may be constructed as a brush as illustrated in FIG. 5 so that the golf ball is lifted by the fluid and remains in the position as illustrated. In this instance the golf ball will be continually carried through the iiuid and the fluid will remain at the bottom of the device 12 and not be spilled out of the opening 26.

Although the device 12 has been illustrated as a simple hollow drum shaped device for attachment to a golf caddy cart (either the hand cart or a power cart) the device may also be incorporated as a part of the original golf cart without departing from the spirit of this invention and d although FIG. 3 illustrates a paddle as a form of rotating device to carry the golf balls around within the device 12, the paddles may take other forms such as a brush as illustrated in FIG. 5 without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf ball washer for a golf cart attached in juxtaposition to the golf cart Wheel and comprising a cylindrical shaped body, said body being hollow and provided with an access opening, a closure slide slidably mounted on said body for cooperation with said opening, a drive shaft through the center of said body, a plurality of paddles aixed to said drive shaft, each paddle extending radially from said shaft to the inner surface of said cylindrical shaped body, said drive shaft on the exterior of said cylindrical shaped body provided with a drive Wheel, said cylindrical shaped body aixed to a supporting arm, said supporting arm pivotally attached to a clamp and a pair of springs to retain said device in a mounted frictionally engaged position with said golf cart wheel, means to move said golf cart and in turn rotate said apparatus for Washing golf balls.

2. A golf ball washer for a golf cart attached in juxta` position to the golf cart wheel and comprising a cylindrical shaped body, said body being hollow and provided with an access opening, a closure slide slidably mounted on said body for cooperation with said opening, a drive shaft through the center of said body, a plurality of paddles a'ixed to said drive shaft, each paddle extending radially from said shaft to the inner surface of said cylindrical shaped body, said drive shaft on the exterior of said cylindrical shaped body provided with a drive wheel, said cylindrical shaped body alxed to an upright supporting arm, said arm axed to said golf cart and resilient means to move said arm downward to in turn increase the frictional bearing of the drive on said golf cart wheel, means to move said golf cart and in turn rotate said apparatus for Washing golf balls.

3. In a device according to claim 2 in which the cylindrical shaped body is adapted to be partially lled with a iiud for cleaning.

4. In a device according to claim 2 in which the paddles are a solid form with a cup shaped end.

5. In a device according to claim 2 in which the paddles are an open framework form With a cup shaped end.

6. In a device according to claim 2 in which the paddles are formed with a plurality of stii bristles as a brush.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,470,245 Slider Oct. 9, 1923 2,540,687 Netterstrom Feb. 6, 1951 2,766,935` Klein Oct. 16, 1958 

1. A GOLF BALL WASHER FOR A GOLF CART ATTACHED IN JUXTAPOSITION TO THE GOLF CART WHEEL AND COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL SHAPED BODY, SAID BODY BEING HOLLOW AND PROVIDED WITH AN ACCESS OPENING, A CLOSURE SLIDE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID OPENING, A DRIVE SHAFT THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID BODY, A PLURALITY OF PADDLES AFFIXED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, EACH PADDLE EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID SHAFT TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAPED BODY, SAID DRIVE SHAFT ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAPED BODY PROVIDED WITH A DRIVE WHEEL, SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAPED BODY AFFIXED TO A SUPPORTING ARM, SAID SUPPORTING ARM PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO A CLAMP AND A PAIR OF SPRINGS TO RETAIN SAID DEVICE IN A MOUNTED FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED POSITION WITH SAID GOLF CART WHEEL, MEANS TO MOVE SAID GOLF CART AND IN TURN ROTATE SAID APPARATUS FOR WASHING GOLF BALLS. 